It's A Family Thing
by cheary-kur
Summary: [2007 Movieverse] Sam's never been very good at secrets... especially when it came to keeping them from his older sister Annie. But how in the world do you go about hiding a secret when it's sitting as plain as day in your driveway? OC
1. Homecoming

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

_A/N: This story represents a first for me – it's both my first Transformer's fic, and the first fic where I've ever had an OC. Luckily for all of you, I hate Mary-Sue, so don't expect to ever see that from me. Yes, there may be pairings, but we'll see where the story takes us, yeah? Hope you enjoy. And one final note – this is from the 2007 movieverse. I may draw on my memory of the cartoon for some small details, but it'll definitely be movie centered, and if I'm off on any of the important details, let me know. Enjoy!_

**"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."**

**George Bernard Shaw**

People deal with near-traumatic events in very different ways.

Some cry - a lot. Some become almost catatonic for weeks, as if their bodies are in denial that anything out of the ordinary happened. Others see counselors, trying to dredge up forgotten memories of their childhood, hoping for some sort of explanation, some hidden reason. Some become angry, defensive, even hurtful, in order to distract themselves from thinking about what just happened.

Sam Witwicky, however, was not one of these people.

He slept.

And slept, and slept, and slept. He occasionally rose to eat, to talk to Bumblebee, or to see Mikaela. But other than that, sleep was his gentle refuge; a place where, not only could his sore, bruised body mend itself while he was safely unconscious, but his mind could process what just happened to him without him actually having to think about it. When he was awake, it was like his thoughts were a broken record.

_I almost died. My car isn't a car. Robots. Aliens. Big war, bad robots. I almost died._

These thoughts started his mornings and ended his nights whether he wanted them to or not. So, as he lay in his bed nearly a week after the epic battle between Man and Machine and Machine, the cobwebs of sleep unfortunately clearing from the recesses of his brain and bright morning light pouring over him, he couldn't help it when his mind turned back to these thoughts once more.

_I almost died. Robots. Fought a robot. I almost…_

He shook his head, almost angrily. _This isn't gonna do me any good. _Sam stretched and blinked in the morning light, sighing softly. It's not like there wasn't good that came of the whole thing. He got a beautiful girl, and a new best friend – who, granted, was an extra-terrestrial robot too, but that was okay. _I'm just obsessing. It's not good to obsess. I might turn into Mom. _He shuddered and turned over, lifting the covers over his head in a feeble attempt to block out the morning. _Maybe just a few more…_

"Knock, knock."

At the sound of a familiar female voice, Sam shot straight up in bed, gathering the sheets around himself in a panic. Still slightly groggy, it took him a moment for the voice to register.

There, leaning against the doorframe of his room, was his older sister.

"Annie?" Sam's scratchy morning voice was filled with shock. "What… how… where?"

"Sorry, little brother, did I scare you?" Annie's voice was filled with sarcasm, and her green eyes were narrowed, which didn't help abate Sam's confusion in the slightest. "Didn't mean to at _all. _I mean, I've been scared over the past week, y'know, after seeing that there were some sort of… attacks happening everywhere. And that was okay, you see, because I figured that you guys wouldn't be involved anyways."

Sam rubbed his eyes. "Annie… slow down, I gotta -"

Annie didn't show any signs of stopping. "And then I hear that there are some strange meteors that crashed and caused damage near where my family lives. Of course, _that_ would all have been okay, if I could have gotten _ahold _of any members of my family at any given time. But no, of course I can't, no one's answering the phone."

"Annie, let me explain!" Sam felt a tad guilty now, but there hadn't been anything he could do about the phone thing – the number of paparazzi that had called their house in the hopes of information had risen to astronomical levels, and Sam's father had to disconnect all possible lines of communication with the outside world. In fact, it was only recently that his family had actually even been able to step out of the house. Sam wasn't even really sure how the press had been able to connect him to what happened – the Government had been very adamant that things were kept very quiet and confidential, giving strict orders to anyone involved that they were _not _able to divulge any information regarding the attacks to any outside party; in fact, they had even set up a special phone line in the Witwicky household, so that they could check up on them. This "special phone" hadn't been put to use yet, and frankly, Sam was thankful. He had had enough of the US Government to suit him for a very long time.

Sam was shaken by his reverie by his very loud and very angry sister, whose voice had taken on a slight tremor.

"And then," Annie said shakily, "Just as I'm starting to feel a little bit more worried, I see your name in the damn paper! Granted, it was a tabloid, but it linked you to some secret government ploy and aliens and… good lord, Sam, _why didn't anyone call me?!" _

Sam couldn't think of anything to say. His sister was still standing at the door, fists clenched, face red and tears in her eyes, and all he could do was feel really, really bad. "I'm sorry, I…" He shrugged helplessly. "I would have thought Mom and Dad…"

"They didn't," Annie murmured. Very suddenly, so suddenly that Sam gave out a yelp of fear, she ran across the room, jumped on Sam's bed, and squeezed him in such a tight hug that his few unbroken ribs groaned painfully.

"Oh god, ahh – Annie, I love you, but let go, please!"

His sniffling sister reluctantly let him go, tucking her brown hair behind her ears as she backed away to sit cross-legged on the bed. Sam raised an arm to his chest with a groan.

"Sam, I was so worried, and…" Annie paused. Her mouth opened in a silent "o" as she took in his scratched face and arms, and the large bandage across his chest. "Oh god, honey, what…" She looked at him in horror and confusion. "Did you… were you actually… was it aliens?"

Sam forced out a loud laugh. _Whoops, a bit too loud. She won't notice._ "Are you serious? No, no, no, come on. No. I was just… in an accident."

Annie's concern almost immediately morphed into one of suspicion. "What kind of accident?"

Sam paused at this. "Uh… car. A car accident." His mind reeled frantically for a good explanation. "I got into a car accident when… when the meteors hit. It sort've caused an… an earthquake, and I, uh, ran off the road. Into a telephone pole. It… hurt…" Sam's voice trailed off.

Annie stared at him for a long time, during which Sam became increasingly uncomfortable. _She reminds me _way _too much of Mom._ Finally, she let out a slow sigh, and asked, "How did the newspaper get your name?"

Sam laughed uncomfortably, running a hand through his short brown hair. "Well, y'know those meteors? One crashed really close to my car, so I guess they just connected me to it… I'm not sure, about that government thing, though. Tabloids, they'll connect anything, won't they?" _Lame, lame, lame._

"I guess." Sam's sister didn't look convinced, but fortunately for Sam, seemed to accept what he said for now. "Are Mom and Dad out?"

The boy leaned back in bed. "Yeah, they mentioned something about going to the nursery… Mom's flowers were trashed in those… earthquake things."

"Oh." Annie became silent once more. She sat there picking at her sleeve, apparently deep in thought. Her eyes still brimmed with tears that she wiped away absent-mindedly.

Sam broke the silence with a question of his own. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

At this, his sister flushed and averted her eyes. "Oh… well, it's a long story, and… well, I'll just wait for Mom and Dad. Anyways, I gotta go unpack."

"Unpack? Are you staying for a while?"

Annie grinned. "You could say that." She stood to leave. As she headed for the door, she tossed him a familiarly devilish smile over her shoulder. _Well, _there's _the sister I know and love._

"If you get dressed and comb that mop on your head, I'll make us some breakfast. And then maybe you can think up an explanation as to why there's a bitchin' yellow Camaro in our driveway." Annie gave him one last "I know you're full of crap" smirk before she slipped from the room.

Sam heaved a sigh and delicately tried to move his aching body out of his bed. As happy as he was that Annie was home, he knew that there were things that she couldn't know, that she wasn't allowed to know…not yet. He was really gonna have to turn up the bullshit meter.

Sam reached for a comb and started to pull it through the snarled mess on his head. _I'm starting to really hate secrets._

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	2. Little Lies

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Now don't get too excited…I'm quick with the updates at first, but don't expect this tempo to keep up. I'm inherently lazy. Alas. This chapter is in Annie's POV. Enjoy!_

"**You can kid the world. But not your sister."**

**Charlotte Gray**

Anne Margaret Witwicky could always tell when someone was keeping something from her – especially if that someone was her younger brother.

Often called the "Human B.S. Detector" all throughout high school, it was an almost uncanny ability that she was certain was inherited from her mother. Annie had dumped her fair share of boyfriends who swore left and right that they "didn't touch that girl!" or they "weren't doing anything _wrong _with her".

Yes, it was a wondrous thing… although sometimes, Annie wished she wasn't quite so tuned in to the deceptions of others. Just for once, she'd sort of like to be naïve, to be surprised.

Maybe that's why she was choosing to ignore Sam's rather lame fabrications about meteors and car crashes, instead of grilling him like she really wanted to.

As Annie flipped pancakes over the stove, she stole a glance at her surprisingly grown-up sibling stuffing his face and sighed wistfully. Where had all the time gone? _God, I can still remember him as the little kid whose mouth was always blue from the Fun-Dip he ate all the time; the one who thought it was great fun to trail after his preteen sister and her friends. _She grinned. _Annoying little twerp. _

Granted, they had always been fairly close – their two year age difference had seen to that – but he'd always been little, had always seemed younger than his years. It was only this past year, really, when he shot up and bulked out slightly. It took her aback like nothing else when she came home for Christmas to find her brother an inch taller than her and loving every minute of it. Their annual wrestle-for-the-first-present match hadn't lasted long this time at all.

_Look at me, all sentimental – I haven't even been gone that long. _Annie shook her head. Dumping the golden, sizzling pancakes on a plate, she slid them across the island towards Sam and chuckled. "Think this'll tide you over, tank? Lord, it's like you haven't eaten in years."

"You'd be surprised," Sam mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes, syrup dribbling down his chin. He gave a sticky smirk.

"Ugh, manners. I'd rather not see your food being masticated, if you please."

Sam shot her a look. "Is it university that turned you into such a fancy-pants? What the hell does _masticated _mean? It sounds dirty."

Annie stuck out her tongue and threw a dishtowel in Sam's direction. "Just because _you _don't care about the importance of a good vocabulary…"

"Vocabulary, vo-schmabulary." Sam grinned as Annie threw him a teasingly exasperated look. "What I _do _care about, however, is the importance of a good meal, and I gotta say, Sis, that this is amazing."

"Glad you like it." Annie turned to the sink and scrubbed at the pan she had just put to used. As she set the pan down, she caught a glimpse of yellow in the reflective surface. She turned to see what caused it. It was the yellow Camaro, the _awesome_ yellow Camaro, that was still parked in the driveway. Annie's curiosity was peaked once more – way too much to let it pass unquestioned. However, she had a feeling that Sam wasn't going to be completely straight with her on the subject of this additional mystery, so she decided to play it cool.

Turning her back to him once more, she spoke up as nonchalantly as she could. "So, did Dad buy you that car?"

There was a pause. A long one. And then a sharp, almost panicky laugh. _Oh, bullshit time._ "Dad? HA! Ha. No, uh, no, he definitely didn't buy me that. No way, are you kidding? You know Dad!"

Annie nodded, grinning. "I sure do. My first car was a $3000 dollar piece of crap. I figured he wouldn't have broken the bank for you, either." She turned to look at Sam, keeping her face impassive. Sam's eyes were darting back and forth, and his hand was incessantly clinking his fork against his now empty plate. "So where's the car from, Sam?"

Sam opened his mouth to reply.

"I… I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

At the sound of a new voice both Sam and Annie looked up, Sam gratefully, and Annie impatiently. There at the entrance to the kitchen stood a beautiful girl, about Sam's age. Annie felt her mouth drop open just a little. _She looks exactly like the type of girl that couldn't be bothered to talk to me in high school – and certainly not the type to ever to talk to Sam. She couldn't be… _Annie glanced at her brother, and the dopey look on his face gave it away. _Wow, little brother. Nice catch. _

The girl was eyeing the two of them a little suspiciously, and Annie immediately understood why. _She thinks I'm just some strange girl. Nice to know my brother doesn't even mention his older sister to his girlfriend._

Annie walked forward and held out her hand. "Hi, you've probably heard nothing about me. I'm Sam's sister Annie."

The lovely girl's suspicion immediately morphed into relief, and then pleasant surprise. "Oh! Actually, Sam mentioned you offhand, once," she said, softly shaking Annie's hand

Annie gave a wry smile. "How very sweet of him."

Sam flushed and stood, arms awkwardly swinging in an attempt to alleviate his embarrassment. "Yeah, uh Annie, this is my… this is Mikaela."

"Nice to meet you, Mikaela." Annie said. "Take a seat. I'd offer you some food, but my brother seems to have downed everything."

Mikaela sat down on a bar stool that Sam procured for her. "It's okay… I ate before I came. I shouldn't have just walked in, but the door was open, and…"

"Don't worry about it. We're pretty informal about visitors here in the Witwicky household." Annie leaned against the counter. "It's just about the only thing we _are _informal about." Sam snorted. Annie glanced at her brother, the wheels in her head spinning furiously.

She turned her gaze towards Mikaela. "Actually, maybe you could shed a little light on this. We were just talking about where Sam could have possibly gotten that great car in our driveway. Do you have any clue?"

The younger girl's face remained impassive, although Annie did note that her eyes widened, even if just a little. "Oh -"

Sam cut in quickly. "Yeah, ha, we were just talking about how, y'know, I got all banged up and stuff, that stupid car crash I was in, remember? Because of the meteors? Yeah, remember how bad it was?" Annie watched as he drummed his fingers on the island counter nervously.

Mikaela glanced at the boy and nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yeah, that was pretty terrible. We were all worried about Sam." She looked up at Annie, innocence incarnate. "It was funny… well, not really funny, but the car he had been driving was a GMC make, actually, a Camaro, an old one… kind of a piece of crap. No offense, Sam," Mikaela gave a bob of her head to Sam, who nodded as well, obviously trying to contain his relief.

"Anyways, when he crashed, the airbags didn't go off, and his seat actually flew out right of the car. Sam's mom was totally not impressed. She threatened to sue, and I guess GMC felt so bad, that they decided to replace the car with a new one, and even add in a bunch of bells and whistles." Mikaela shrugged. "It was a bad accident, but Sam's okay, and the car is fantastic, so…" She shrugged again.

_Ooh, she's good. _"I see… seems strange, I wonder if they give new cars to every person who crashes while driving a GMC make?" Annie tilted her head, almost mockingly.

To Mikaela's credit, her face never wavered. "Yeah, well, I guess your mom was pretty intimidating."

Annie laughed. "She is, at that."

Sam laughed too, loudly, voice tinged with relief. "Yeah, ha, so that's how it went down."

Annie slowly cocked her eyebrow, and then gave a small smile. "Alright, I believe you." She crossed her arms. "I might believe you more, however, if you give me a ride."

"A – a ride?" Sam stuttered.

"Uh huh! Or do you not want anyone touching your baby?"

"He's not – I mean it, it's not my baby. I mean, it is, but…" He gave a short, sharp sort of sigh. "Fine. Uh, Mikaela? Would you… run and get some, some… _gas _for me? Keys are on the table in the front hallway."

The girl nodded, gave a wave to Annie, and jogged out of the room.

Annie raised her eyebrows. "Got her doing your grunt work, there?"

"No! I just… I gotta get changed, and you gotta do the dishes, and I… okay, do you want a ride or not?" Sam's eyes were darting to and fro once again.

"Go on." Annie gave a small, dismissive wave of her hand. "But hurry up. I'll be done here in a minute."

Sam didn't need another reminder – he pealed out of there as if the kitchen were on fire.

Annie couldn't help but giggle to herself. Sam could always make her laugh, whether he meant to or not. And she had to give Sam and his girlfriend credit, that was some mighty fine work in the "keeping our stories straight" department. She figured, for all the work he was putting into it, she may as well let her brother keep his secrets.

For now.

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	3. Cruisin'

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

_A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys – I've been working a whole lot of overtime lately; but I promise that I'll start churning out chapters quicker than this. Just one little note, in response to this email I've gotten; the plot to this story will be character central. I do have a huge action story in mind in this story's continuity if this one should go over well, but this story will revolved around establishing Annie as a character. And to the second part of the email, the question, "Will there be pairings?" I'll let you guys figure out that one on your own. Enjoy!_

"**Secrets are made to be found out, with time."**

**Charles Sanford **

Sam's palms were sweaty as he dashed about his room getting dressed, and that was never a good sign. He couldn't begin to imagine how that conversation would have gone without Mikaela. _Girl sure can spin one, _he thought with a chuckle as he pulled a shirt over his head. She also had impeccable timing.

But this charade couldn't go on much longer. He knew his sister's curiosity level enough to know that this was not the end. _And she also knows I suck at lying. _He didn't even know how he could ever tell her everything that had happened, or how she would take it, or if he was even really allowed to tell in the first place.

_God, I hope Mikaela is explaining things to Bee._ She _had _to have gotten what he meant when he told her to "fill up the car", seeing as Bee didn't even _take _gas.

The unmistakable sound of gravel crunching under tires made Sam practically trip as he pulled on his jeans. Grabbing his belt, he attempted to run and do it up at the same time – a feat that would even be difficult for a more coordinated person, instead of the one who trips over his own feet almost daily.

With only minimal amounts of stumbling and banging into walls, Sam made it to the back door just as his sister was stepping out. He straightened up almost immediately, trying to keep it cool. _This'll be fine. Bee is smart. He won't screw things up. _He also knew his new friend's penchant for mischief, and that gave him cause enough to worry.

"Oh my god, Mojo!" His sister gave a tiny squeal of happiness and tore off to 'Mojo's Penthouse'. She had always been a sucker for small things that moved, and the family dog was no exception.

This gave Sam the opportunity he needed. He half-jogged over to Mikaela, who was leaning on Bee's hood, watching Annie with a smile on her face. "I like your sister. She's sweet."

"Yeah, sweeter than sugar, right. Did you get what I meant?" Sam spoke in an urgent whisper, casting a glance over in his sister's direction.

"Of course; I told Bee what was going on."

"Good. Great." Sam laid a hand on Bumblebee's hood and leaned in close. "Bee… just be… a car. Okay? Just… she can't know."

The Camaro's lights flickered ever so slightly, which Sam took as affirmation. Mikaela placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sam, settle down. We both know what to do, Bee especially. You're getting way too worked up.

"Sam?" Annie's voice called out across the backyard. "Why is our dog wearing jewellery?"

"Mom."

"Ah." Annie nuzzled the dog gently and then set him back inside his house. Jogging over to Sam and stopping just short of him, she looked around, surprised, at the amount of destruction in the backyard. "Man, Dad must have flipped his lid."

"I guess you could say that." _If by flipped his lid you mean tried to make Optimus Prime get him a new fountain, then yeah, sounds about right._

Annie then gave a good hard look to the yellow car she was standing beside. "Wow, Sam. It's even nicer up close." She tilted her head and began walking around the Camaro, bending down occasionally, inspecting the detailing. "Wow." She slowly ran her hand across the hood of the car and up over the roof, and grinned. "Sexy."

_Oh, god, my sister is feeling up my best friend – and I'm watching. _Beside him, Mikaela was clearly stifling a laugh. "Uh, okay, that's enough, I don't want your fingerprints on the car." Sam couldn't keep his voice from cracking. This really would be very funny if he weren't so freaked out. He couldn't begin to imagine what Bumblebee must be thinking. _I don't even know if I _want _to imagine._

"Sorry, sorry." Annie laughed. "You're so twitchy!" She continued her slow walk around the car until she had made it all the way around. "I'd kick the tires, but that'd be an insult," she said, the ghost of a laugh still in her voice. She peered inside. "Leather interior, too! I really should get in a car crash, if this is the payout."

"I didn't know you were this interested in cars," Mikaela piped up. "I'm somewhat of a car junkie myself."

"Oh, I wouldn't call myself a car junkie – just a girl with an appreciation for aesthetics." Annie crossed her arms and chuckled again. "My last boyfriend had a real fetish for hot cars. I guess it must have rubbed off a little." The girls shared a smile.

"So did you dump that asshole yet?" Sam sure as hell hoped so. Jerry had been nothing but a pig, and the whole family had known it. He had no idea why so many girls stayed with guys who didn't treat them right.

Annie shot him a withering glare. "Yes, I did, but if you make a big deal about it, I'll hurt you."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"I mean, I did tell you so, but -"

"I'm serious, Sam!"

"I was this close to hurting him myself!"

"Shut it! Like that would have gone over well anyways." Annie turned from her brother, intent on ending the conversation. "Am I going to get a ride or not?"

At this, the car's engines revved to life, and it sat happily humming in the driveway.

Annie looked perplexed. "What…"

"Remote keyless start," Sam nearly shouted. _My god, I'm a genius._

Annie raised an eyebrow. "Huh. They didn't miss a detail, did they?"

"Who?"

"GMC."

"Oh," Sam laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess not."

As Annie slid into the passenger's seat, Sam leaned in close to the car. "Okay, you've had your fun," he whispered, "now please just act… like a _car._" He opened the door and leaned over to pull the seat back for Mikaela, who was still giggling away to herself as she climbed into the back seat. _At least one of us finds this funny._ He slid into the driver's seat, watching Annie out of the corner of his eye. She was taking in every detail, fiddling with the knobs, checking out her mirror, rubbing the seat. It was enough to make him want to jump over and tape her arms and legs together.

Sam threw the car into gear and backed out of the driveway. _Just a quick spin around the block should do it, _he thought hopefully. As he drove down the street and past his house, the radio unexpectedly crackled to life.

"_The machine of a dream, such a clean machine, with the pistons a pumpin' and the hub caps all gleam…"_

_Oh, he thinks he's just so hilarious. _"Watch what you press, there, Annie, you must've accidentally turned the radio on." _Two brainwaves in one morning? I've said it once, and I'll say it again…genius._

"Oops, sorry," Annie shrugged. "At least it's Queen." Leaning back in her seat, Annie tapped out the rhythm on the seat. Sam sighed.

For what seemed liked hours (but was really only ten minutes), the trio and their car cruised around the pretty suburban neighborhood without occurrence, for which Sam was thankful. Bee appeared to have gotten his fill of monkey business and seemed quite content in giving his passengers and smooth ride – in fact, a few times Sam would feel the wheel moving slightly of its own accord, avoiding hitherto unforeseen bumps or potholes. Sam was more comfortable with _this_ method of showboating – a lot less obvious.

Eventually the kids found themselves pulling back into the Witwicky's driveway, only to find another car parked there.

"Oh god, Mom and Dad are back." Sam's sister visibly paled. "I uh… could I got talk to them for a bit before you guys come in?"

"Sure thing," piped up Mikaela. "Take your time."

Sam threw the car into park, and Annie slowly slid out, shutting the door behind her. The two kids in the car watched as she took a deep breath, shot them a backwards grimace, and stepped inside the front door.

Sam let out a breath he felt like he had been holding forever, and sank into his seat. "Okay, so that went alright, right?" He turned to face his girlfriend, who was already gingerly climbing over the backseat to join him in the front. "I mean, no thanks to Bee."

At this, the radio crackled, and a deep, pleasant voice with a metallic tinge wafted through the speakers. "I was perfectly inconspicuous."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't exactly call it perfect! The radio usually only works when it's turned on, Bee. Same goes for a_ car_."

Bumblebee gave a hoarse chuckle; his voice still edged with a slight rasp from prolonged disuse. "Your sister seems like a very pleasant individual. I like her."

"Sam, Annie's not going to even suspect that this Bee isn't just a Camaro," Mikaela piped up. "It's not like when the radio turns on of its own accord once or twice, she immediately thinks, 'Oh, my god, this car must be a huge robot alien in disguise! That's the only possible explanation!'"

Bee laughed again and Sam blushed. "I just want to make sure." He crossed his arms. "I can't keep it secret forever. I mean, not only do I not enjoy having to lie to Annie, I sort've _want _her to know. Not everyone knows a bunch of robots."

"We will have to discuss the situation with Prime, and, unfortunately, your government," Bee said with a sigh. Sam could tell he was still very uncomfortable about having to report to the G-men; this was entirely understandable, considering what they did to him last he was in their "care". Sam still shuddered every time he thought about it.

It was then that he noticed his sister making her way back to them. "Here comes Annie, Bee."

The radio instantly turned back on, its volume low.

Annie opened the passenger side door and stuck her head in. "It's safe to come in, little brother, the parents have been effectively defused."

"What did you…?"

Annie smirked. "I had to get across to them my anger at them not having called me during the crises that befell the world recently, and make them feel bad enough that they'd be alright the fact that I've decided not to be an Art History major."

"Ooh, damn, Annie!" Sam grimaced, picturing his dad's reaction to that. "Did it work?"

"Yeah, sorta… especially when I told them I'd be going to school here for Graphic Design." She laughed. "Mom cried about how the family's going to be all together again, and Dad applauded my program choice – a lot more careers options, a lot more," Annie said gruffly, in an apt imitation of Mr. Witwicky, and then immediately dissolving into giggles. "Anyways, come on, Mom's making sandwiches for all of us."

Sam and Mikaela slid out of their seats, Sam eagerly – lying made him hungry, it seemed.

"Bye, car!" Annie waved playfully. Bee honked, just as playfully, and Sam held out the keys to the car, hoping it looked like the honk had come from him locking the car. Annie didn't seem to give it another thought as she began chattering with Mikaela.

_Mikaela's right. If the idea's not in Annie's head, she won't suspect that Bee is anything other than he appears to be. _Sam turned and gave Bee and thumbs up before heading inside. Bee's lights flickered in response, and Sam grinned, feeling relieved. Things were going to be just fine. _Provided, of course, we can all just lay low…_

Annie stuck her head around the door frame of the kitchen. "Mom said I could borrow the car to visit the college here later today. She said she was sure that'd be alright."

_Damnit!_

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	4. Confusin'

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction. I did, however, come up with the character of Annie. So don't touch, thanks.**_

_A/N: Hey, just a short chapter this time around… it's sort of paving the way for bigger and better things. Just you wait. And I have to thank everyone for their response to this story. Your reviews always make me smile! Thanks so much! Free cars for everyone. _

"**Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure. But unfortunately, although it is true, it is difficult for us to accept it. Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer."**

**Shunryu Suzuki**

Annie sat cross-legged on her bed, absentmindedly sketching, her pencil dancing lightly over the paper. Her mind just wasn't connecting today, and it was annoying her. Tossing the sketchbook on the floor, she leaned back in her pillows and sighed.

Admittedly, it was helping her mood, being back in her old room – even if she had only been there for a few days already. In college, on the days she felt the most "off", and disconnected from her surroundings, it was all she could do not to pound her head against the wall in frustration at the confined, cramped dorm room, with her roommate chattering loudly on her cell phone not two feet away. But here, in Annie's quiet room, soaked in warmth and familiarity, she found solace, comfort.

Annie drew her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. _I can't place it, but things feel… different. _Her family even seemed a little distant lately. Perhaps it was the distance borne of a year's absence, but it still unsettled the girl. And it wasn't just her family that was making her feel displaced; the world seemed to be changing beneath her very feet at an extremely rapid pace, and Annie just couldn't seem to catch up. Every so often, Annie would catch snippets of words, on the evening news and radio programs, exchanged among passers-by, even occasionally murmured between her parents. They were frightening words, like "attack" and "red alert" and "defense"… words that were common enough in every day speech, she supposed; however, the sudden frequency of the words confused her, put her on edge.

_Come now, this is your mind on overdrive. You're still uneasy about what happened while you were away, and you're twisting things around. _Annie shook her head and hoisted her body off the soft bed, suddenly in the mood to go outside and clear her mind.

It wasn't as if she was normally a constantly suspicious person – she only became suspicious when the things being presented to her as truth were clearly not. This is couldn't understand why it seemed like everything everyone said lately threw her into a cycle of mistrust and doubt. _It's not as if it's in the habit of everyone I know to be constantly lying to me,_ she thought, pushing open the back door.

Annie breathed in the smell of freshly mown grass as she sauntered out to the middle of her lawn. Lifting her face to the sun, she enjoyed the not-altogether-unpleasant feeling of the skin on her face tightening under the heat.

_I could really go for an iced macchiato right now, _she thought wistfully. She paused a moment, and then dashed back into the house, snatching up the Sam's car keys. She was lucky Sam never drove his car to school – he was afraid it would get keyed or some such nonsense. _What a strange kid – like the only one I know afraid to show off his new wheels._

Grabbing up her purse, Annie practically ran to the car, eager for a chance to get out of the house and shake the cobwebs from her brain. She inhaled the new car smell and smiled as she started up the engine.

"…_Fastidious and precise, she's a Killer Queen; gunpowder, gelatine, dynamite with a laser beam, guaranteed to blow your mind – anytime!"_

Annie chuckled to herself. "My favorite song. Maybe this day isn't so bad," she murmured, to no one in particular. Annie resigned herself to singing along happily, and loudly, as she drove to the coffee shop downtown.

"… Recommended at the price, insatiable an appetite, wanna try?" She belted out, tapping her hands on the steering wheel as she waited for the light to change.

"Yeah, baby, I'd love a try!"

Annie jumped in her seat. Looking to her left, she stared, incredulous, at the car next to her. It was full of college-age boys, leering and laughing out their window. Annie felt her face go hot.

"Whatsamatter, baby? I'd handle you real nice, as nice as you're handlin' that hot ride," the driver yelled, earning some appreciative elbow jabs and raucous laughter from the other passengers.

Annie stared resolutely ahead, trying to busy her restless hands. _Longest light in history. _She reached forward to change the radio station, hoping maybe to block out the catcalls from the adjacent vehicle. A blast of sound came blowing out of her speakers.

"… _You jerk! You are such a jerk. There are other words, but they just don't work!"_

Annie almost laughed aloud. Turning her head towards the boys, she gave a sweet little smile, and, noticing the light turn green, stepped on the gas. It surprised her when the car took off a lot faster than she had expected it to. She could hardly complain, though. Things like that always made her nervous.

The back of Annie's neck prickled with the unexpected, uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching her closely. She glanced in the rear view mirror, expecting to see the car-full of jerks she thought were still eating her dust. No one was on the road behind her, much less the assholes she had just dealt with. _Strange._

Her mood, which had been steadily climbing upward, found itself creeping back down again. She let out a sharp breath and pulled into a driveway, intent on turning around and heading home, mood for an iced coffee drink straight out the window. _Things just aren't going my way today._

_**TF**_

Sam found himself humming happily as he strolled through the front door of his house. Things were looking up lately, and he just couldn't help but be cheery about it. His girlfriend was great, his sister was home, his parents had just extended his curfew, his car was a robot, and his cover still wasn't blown. _Life is good!_ Granted, it didn't take too much to please Sam – usually just a Hotpocket and an episode of Family Guy would do – but it was a great feeling nonetheless.

This feeling of elation, however, made it that much more unsettling when he came upon his sister sitting on the living room sofa, looking extremely glum as she flipped through a newspaper.

Setting down his backpack, he ungracefully attempted to leap over the back of the sofa, eliciting a snort from Annie. "Oh, shut up. What's the matter?"

She gave him a half smile. "Nothing too big. It was just a weird day."

Sam's heart stuttered, and he spoke haltingly. "H-how weird is weird? Like, 'Whoa, I just found a peanut M&M in a package of plains, how weird!', or, like, sci-fi weird?"

Annie shook her head and snorted. "You do so have a way with words. It's fine. I'm fine. How was school?"

"Good enough. 'Cept teachers seem to love giving us tons of homework right near the end of term, which, to me, y'know, isn't making a whole lot of sense."

"Yeah," Annie murmured, "they do that, don't they? Seems counterproductive."

"Yeah! Exactly!" Sam nodded vigorously at this, and then lapsed into a silence, punctuated only by the crack of paper as his sister continued to flip though her newspaper. "Yeah…" He tapped out a random rhythm on his kneecaps, and then stilled his hands and edged closer to his sister. "Listen… I'm no you, but I'm not stupid either. Something's up."

Annie sighed, setting down what she was reading. She leaned back and opened her mouth, only to close it abruptly. Sighing softly again, she spoke, a tad haltingly. "Do… do you ever feel like things are… are changing? And that you're not exactly sure what it is, really, but you know it scares the hell out of you?"

Sam didn't know how to answer this. "Is that what you… feel like?"

Annie sniffled. "A little. It feels like a lot has changed."

"Not that much is different," Sam said, a sudden and horrible guilt washing over him even as he said it. _You liar._ "You've just been gone a little while, is all. You'll fall into the same boring routine as the rest of us in no time."

She shrugged. "I guess."

There was silence once more. Sam poked his sister's side suddenly. "Do you need me to do The Face?" He asked, making his voice as squeaky and obnoxious as he could.

Annie rolled her eyes, "Don't, okay? I'm really not in the mood."

"Ohh, everyone's _always _in the mood for The Face."

"Honestly, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, I can tell, you - "

"Sam, I swear to god, if …"

"Ladies and gentlemen…"

"Oh my god, did you not hear me?"

"Prepare to laugh!"

"SAM!"

"Prepare to cry…"

"Come on, I'm just not…"

"At… Monkey Man!" At this, Sam puffed his cheeks out, scrunched up his nose, and pulled his ears out straight from his head in a grotesque sort of simian mockery.

Annie couldn't contain herself. She pressed her hand to her mouth, unsuccessfully attempting to quell her snorts of laughter.

Sam grinned at a job well done, and rubbed his sore cheeks. "That always gets you, admit it."

This earned him a firm punch to the shoulder and another hearty giggle. Sam chuckled too, but was quickly going over a plan of action in his mind. Patting his sister's shoulder, he excused himself to his room.

He had an email to write.

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	5. The Truth Hurts

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction. I did, however, come up with the character of Annie. So don't touch, thanks.**_

_A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone! For your reading pleasure, and as atonement for making you wait forever for the next chapter (mea culpa!), this one is a tad longer, and, finally (yet briefly, for now) in Bee's POV. An additional note – a few people pointed out some errors in the last chapter that I quickly rectified – I want to thank you for this. I don't have a Beta, so I don't mind your friendly suggestions at all! I hope you enjoy!_

"**Truth is such a rare thing, it is delighted to tell it."**

**Emily Dickinson**

Bumblebee was not well versed in the characteristics of the relationship between human siblings.

The only siblings he ever knew were of his own species, and the ones he had any experience with didn't apply – one set of siblings were twins, and were more often than not just a pair of boron-compressors; the other set, well, "estranged" would have been putting it lightly.

Suffice it to say, however little experience he thought himself to have, he knew that the relationship between the two Witwicky children was… atypical. It was apparent that they shared a unique closeness that was beyond any sort of genetic relation. They seemed to be almost… friends. It was not a "big deal", as Sam would put it, but Bumblebee enjoyed observing these little facets of humanity. There wasn't much else he could do, really, being confined to the driveway all day long, save for recharging.

Bumblebee had certainly not been expecting a fourth Witwicky family member to appear, seemingly out of nowhere. When the Autobots had researched Sam Witwicky, he had been their primary focus – they hadn't even thought to concern themselves with learning more than they needed to about his immediate relatives. _There had been no need, really, _Bee thought to himself.

Annie. Bee wondered if she knew how many traits she shared with her brother. They both seemed to share a sense of humor. They even had vague similarities in appearance. And, hilariously, both had comparable hand-eye co-ordination. It had taken a great deal of self control not to chuckle last week when Annie, not looking where she was going, had tripped getting into the car, and ended up splayed across his front seat with the contents of her purse scattered everywhere. His initial concern had melted into humor when he saw that she was not injured, but instead laughing herself silly.

Truth be told, Bee found her fascinating. He was growing fonder of her by the day.

Bumblebee was snapped out of his reverie by a knock to his window. It was Sam. Bee popped open his driver door to let him in.

Sam settled in the driver's seat, crossing his arms and leaning back. "We've got to tell her."

Bee spoke. "I know. We will speak to Optimus."

Sam shook his head. "I just emailed Will Lennox. He's gonna tell Ironhide, who's gonna tell Optimus. I mean we've got to tell her…now. As in, let's go right now, now."

"Sam…" Bumblebee was wary. "I cannot go against Optimus' orders like that."

Sam's brow furrowed. "Did he order you not to tell my sister that you were really a robot?"

"Well, he never specifically gave me an order regarding…"

"Then you aren't breaking an order."

"But I am not following one, either."

The boy gave a frustrated sigh. "Screw procedure, man. I mean, if you won't help me, I'll tell her on my own." Sam seemed to realize that his tone of voice was harsh, and uncrossed his arms, clasping his hands together in a pleading sort of gesture. "Please, Bee. She's upset about something, probably because she – I dunno – feels left out or whatever; I feel bad. Let's just tell her. What's one more person? And if anyone can keep a secret, it's definitely her. And she will find out eventually, probably by accident. And then? Well, then she'll be furious that I didn't tell her in the first place. And then it'll be cockroaches in the bed and sugar in the gas tank for the two of us, man."

Despite all of Bee's misgivings, he could see the logic in what Sam was saying. "What about your… government?"

Sam's countenance darkened visibly. "Screw them, too."

Bumblebee shared this sentiment more than he would ever let on.

There was a moment of silence. Bee then spoke, resignedly. "Fine. You're a bad influence on me, I think."

"Oh right," laughed Sam, "as if you act like a saint all the times I'm not here."

Bee laughed. "I am incredibly saintly, and hurt that you would think otherwise. Should we wait until dark?"

"That'd work, I guess." Sam glanced out at the sky. "It'll be dark soon. Maybe we should… leave now?" Sam ended questioningly, seemingly looking for the robot's permission. Bee found this vaguely ironic.

"Prime, you're impatient! Alright, Sam, go get Annie. We'll have to go somewhere secluded."

"Out of town, got it. I'll just tell her that there's a party… or something. I'll think of it as I go get her." Sam said this last part almost to himself, and vaulted out of the car. Bee watched him go with some apprehension, when suddenly a gruff voice came crackling through his communications channel.

"_Bumblebee, Ironhide here."_

"_Hello, Ironhide. How have you been?"_

There came a short snort over the channel. _"Fine. We'll exchange formalities later, kid. Optimus gives you the go-ahead."_

Bee gave an audible sigh of relief. _"Thank you."_

"_Why couldn't you have contacted Optimus yourself?"_

"_I could have, but Sam went ahead without really consulting me. I don't think he had any intention of waiting for Optimus' permission."_

Another snort. _"Fraggin' kid's too headstrong."_

"_Most certainly. But he's a good person." _Bee saw Sam and Annie at the front door. _"I have to cut this short."_

"_Well, good luck, you might need it." _Without further ado, a click on the other end signaled that Ironhide had broken the channel – and just in time, as he noticed Sam and Annie were already walking towards his car. Sam was practically running nervous circles around his clearly bemused sister. Again, Bee found himself stifling the insane urge to laugh.

_We'll need more than luck, I think…_

**TFTFTF**

"Remind me where we're going, again?"

Annie's foot tapped against Bee's dashboard impatiently as he cruised down the highway, the sun just dipping out of sight on the horizon.

Sam beat out an energetic rhythm on the steering wheel. "I toldja, some college party. I figure I'll get in with you with me, and that you could meet some people, get out of the house, see the world."

Annie snorted, and sunk low in her seat. "Mhmm. Seriously, where are we going?"

Sam chose to answer by turning up the radio and whistling loudly. Bee would have shook his head, had he a head to shake at the moment. Annie did this for him, turning her attention to the window instead.

Bee could sense she was troubled, but not necessarily about the mysterious car ride. Not for the first time since they had left the house, he wondered once again whether this was the right decision. But there was really no way of communicating this to Sam. Besides, who was Bee to assume he knew Sam's own sister better than he did?

With a slight jolt that made Sam kick the underside of the dash, Bee realized they had arrived at a secluded little spot that Sam, Mikaela, Bee, and even sometimes the other Autobots frequented. There was just enough tree coverage to render it near impossible to see into unless one stood at an exact angle at the exact time.

"Some party, Sam." Annie was sitting up straight now, peering out into the semi-darkness where, clearly, there was no party.

Bee came to a gentle halt as Sam slid out of the drivers seat. "They're farther in… come on, let's go."

Annie heaved a sigh and pulled herself out of her seat, following Sam further into the trees. Bee stayed put, even as they moved slightly out of sight. However, what Bee couldn't see, his preceptors picked up just nicely.

**TFTFTF**

Sam shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked further into the forest, then nervously pulled them out again and wiped them on his shirt. Glancing around, he decided to come to an abrupt halt. He felt his sister nearly slam into the back of him.

"Watch it, Sam! For the love of…" For the love of what, Sam didn't get to hear, as Annie crossed her arms and mumbled to herself. _Now or never._ Giving another quick glance around the dark grove of trees, he drew a deep breath and faced his utterly bemused sister.

"So there's… stuff… I haven't told you."

Annie snorted. "Yep."

"And I'm sure you're getting… annoyed by now."

"Again, yep."

Sam bit his lip, and then, "See… okay, let's start from the beginning." Another deep sigh, and he began. "Okay, well, that thing you read in the paper was pretty accurate. About me and the aliens and the government. Well, I never actually read it, but I assume… anyways. The, um, alien thing was definitely true. Y'see, the huge meteors that crashed? They were actually aliens. They're like these, these giant robots? Yeah, so, the Autobots crash, they're called Autobots. They're from Cybertron. Uh, they land, because they had to get stop the Decepticons from destroying civilization to get their hands on the co-ordinates of the Allspark, which, hilariously enough, were imprinted on Great-Grandad's glasses! So they found me, and protected me, and then the one big Decepticon, Megatron, he was huge, he… he did…"

Sam's exuberant tale of his big adventure was a lot less epic in the retelling, and he could tell, by the way his sister's mouth was hanging ungracefully open, that she was completely lost, and a little concerned for his mental health.

"S-Sam…" Annie stuttered. "Honey, are you gonna be okay? Did you hit your head in the crash?" She walked towards him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you have a concussion. I could drive us over to the Emerg, they should probably check…"

"No!" She wasn't getting it, and Sam wasn't able to make what he wanted to say, to explain, come out in even a vaguely coherent way. _I should have brought Mikaela._

He looked at his sister, who was now gazing into his eyes as if she was expecting him to start spouting gibberish and run around flailing his arms. He bit his lip again, and turned away from her. "Bee?"

The sound of a revving engine startled Annie, who turned, wide eyed, in time to see the bright Yellow Camaro that had just escorted them here driving slowly into the clearing entirely of it's own accord.

Annie stared for a moment, and then yelled, "Hey! Get out…" She whipped around to Sam. "Someone's in your… your…" She looked back, and saw no one in the driver's seat. "Huh..." She took a befuddled step back. "Huh." She looked over at Sam, confusion etched in every line of her face.

Sam attempted a nervous grin, and placed a hand on Annie's shoulder. "Sis… this may be a bit of a shock, but… I want you to meet my friend, Bumblebee."

Annie's brow furrowed, when the sudden sound of grinding gears and clanking metal made her jump and spin back around. The siblings watched as the car before them seemed to grow and unfold in a spectacular display of sparks and jumping metal that gleamed in the moonlight. In no less than a few seconds, a massive yellow robot stood towering over the two humans, blue optics gleaming and hands on his waist.

Sam grinned at his friend, and turned back to Annie. Her face under the light of the moon was devoid of colour, her mouth working as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Sam instantly regretted his decision to reveal the truth to her like this; he had never seen his sister so terrified, as she convulsively grabbed his arm and walked backwards quickly, nearly stumbling over her own feet.

Bee seemed to sense her fear, and knelt down on one knee, leaning in close. Annie's facial expression changed so suddenly and drastically that it nearly made Sam jump. Her face was screwed up in a clear attempt at bravery as she shoved Sam backwards with a surprisingly strong arm. He landed butt first in the dirt as Annie swooped down, scooped up some large rocks, and began chucking them wildly in Bumblebee's direction.

"Stay! Away! From us!" Annie punctuated each bellowed word by throwing a stone. She didn't have terrible aim, as a rather sizeable rock sailed through the air and dinged a bewildered Bee in the shoulder.

"Annie, whoa, hold up!"

Annie spun around to Sam, looking slightly crazed in her fear. "_MOVE, _you idiot!" Having run out of rocks, Annie began ripping up clumpfuls of dirt and grass and throwing them, rather uselessly, at the huge Autobot. Bumblebee looked at Sam helplessly and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Sam heaved himself off the ground and pulled Annie around by her shoulders. If he was more insensitive, and if his sister wasn't so frightened, he would have laughed at the sight of her, her arm frozen in midair with a large clod of dirt crumbling in her fist; her hair stuck out in every which direction and her eyes were wide - there was even a streak of dirt across her face. "Annie, no more throwing things, okay?"

Her arm lowered a fraction. "_What?_" She spat, clearly in no mood for a civilized discussion. Sam then gently turned her back around to face Bumblebee. "He's okay, he's one of the good aliens I told you about. This is Bumblebee."

Annie was shaking. "Bumble… aliens… wha?"

Bee's gentle voice rumbled through the trees; Annie gave a small yelp of surprise. "Hello. My name is Bumblebee. You don't need to be afraid of me, Annie Witwicky. I am not here to harm you."

His sister continued to tremble, but spoke up in a timid voice. She swayed slightly and Sam steadied his grip on her, afraid she would pass out.

"Hell… hello." She gave a small squeak, and then continued. "I… I'm Annie?"

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	6. A Little Talk

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

_A/N: I'm back! And back for good, y'all. In honor of the release of the Transformers dvd, I give you a brand spanking new chapter! I hope you enjoy! And a small warning – some of the facts in this chapter I made up off the top of my head, while trying to stick to canon. Please don't kill me if they're not exact, thanks. _

"**From small beginnings come great things."**

**Proverb**

_Robots. Aliens. Robots._

Annie sat on her bed, hugging her comforter and staring at nothing in particular. The nights events had finally crashed on her; the thoughts spinning around in her head were tumultuous, but all variations on the same theme.

_Robots._

It was to the point where Annie didn't even know quite how to feel about the situation. Oh, there were emotions there that she couldn't quite classify – fear? Wonder? Excitement? – but she couldn't even begin to care. Or sort her thoughts. She felt as if she was on auto-pilot, letting her brain take over while her body appeared dead to the world.

After a few more minutes, she slunk back, accidentally hitting the back of her head on the headboard. Annie hissed through her teeth and rubbed the sore spot; the bump, however, was the jolt she needed.

She threw her feet over the side of the bed and slid them into her slippers. Grabbing her housecoat, she padded softly out of her room, careful not to wake either her parents or Sam, whose snores she could hear even from the hallway. _Poor guy, _she thought with a rueful smile; it was her first coherent non-robot thought for a while. _He tried. _

After the Robot had unveiled himself, Annie barely had the presence of mind to introduce herself before asking to be escorted back home. She supposed she should have talked more on the ride home, to put her brother – _And, _she supposed, _the… Bumblebee… too _– at ease. But she was so torn between being stunned and slightly disturbed that she was… _inside_ an actual, real, sentient being (of whom she really knew nothing about), that she couldn't be bothered to open her mouth. She had then flown straight to her room, barely even waiting for the car – _Robot! – _to stop in their driveway. She stayed there for hours. She didn't have time for questions from concerned family members when she had so many to sort through herself.

Reaching the back door, Annie hesitated. There stood the yellow Camaro, glowing in the moonlight. _Am I disturbing it – him? Does he sleep? _She started forward, stopped, breathed, and then continued walking.

She padded up quietly to the side of the car. Feeling like a bit of a fool, and hoping the neighbors weren't watching, she knocked lightly on the driver's side door.

For a moment there was nothing, and Annie briefly wondered whether everything that had happened maybe didn't; maybe she had just woken up from a very strange –

The car door swung open gently. Annie, once again, hesitated; clearing her throat, she gingerly slid into the seat as the door closed after her.

Annie sat, feeling strangely embarrassed, her hands folded. "Ahh… hello. Did… I didn't, um, disturb you, did I?"

The low, gentle voice wafted out of the car's speakers. It was surpisingly soothing. "You did not, I had not yet started my regeneration cycle." Bumblebee paused, then, "How are you feeling?"

Annie gave a nervous laugh. "I'm not sure."

The car gave a sigh; shifting slightly. Annie tensed, then forced herself to relax. "Listen, I'm, ah, sorry I hit you with rocks. And dirt." She scratched the back of her neck sheepishly.

A low chuckle rumbled the seats. "I am certain I will recover. You have exceptional aim."

"Three years of baseball." Annie smirked slightly, while willing her fidgeting hands to stay still.

"Annie, it was not the intention of neither I nor Sam to harm you tonight. I do hope we have not caused you any damage." Bumblebee's voice was tinged with regret as he spoke. "Sam was very intent on you knowing of me. He can be reckless and impulsive, and, not to mention, extremely stubborn."

Annie laughed outright at this. _I'm liking this guy better by the second_. "He comes by it honestly. And no, I think I'm okay… I mean, confused, if anything." Annie paused briefly to gather her thoughts. "Actually, I have a few questions, if that's okay." The last few words came out in a nervous rush. 

The Bee shifted again, settling down on his tires as if preparing for an onslaught. "I would be more than happy to help."

"Okay." Annie looked around, hoping to make eye contact, and then remembering there was nothing to make eye contact with. "Uh… can you see me?"

"Yes," Bumblebee said, as the rearview mirror swiveled slightly.

"Ohh," breathed Annie. "Okay, well… you're an alien, right?"

"Yes."

"From a planet… uh…"

"Cybertron."

"Yeah. And everything that's been happening these past few weeks was…"

"The battle for the Allspark."

Annie's brow furrowed. "The Allspark?"

"It is the key to life, on our planet."

"Oh." Annie crossed her arms, contemplating. "Wait, 'our'? There's _more _of you here?"

Bumblebee chuckled again, and Annie blushed. "Yes, there are more of my kind. You will meet the remaining members of my faction soon."

"Okay." Annie's head spun from the logistics of everything, and decided to move on to the questions that were really bothering her. "Can you feel me?"

"Pardon?" Bumblebee was clearly confused.

"I mean, can you feel me sitting here… inside of you?" completed Annie with a grimace. "The metal and leather and… it's not like our skin, is it? Can you… do you have the sense of touch?" _I don't know how to word that without sounding stupid_, she thought, embarrassed.

Bumblebee seemed to be considering this. "I have no frame of reference when it comes to the human senses, however, yes, I can feel you sitting there. Nevertheless," he quickly added, as Annie sat up straighter and tensed considerably, "I do not consider it strange, or, _awkward. _It is simply what it is."

Annie slouched back down in the seat, not without apprehension. "So then, do you feel pain?"

"Yes," came the soft reply.

Annie decided not to push her luck on that question. "Um… do you have genders? Are you male?"

"Yes, I am."

"Are there any females of your kind?"

Bumblebee sighed sadly. "Yes, however, whether any are left is unknown to us. Many females were killed guarding the Younglings back in the War on Cybertron."

"Younglings?" Annie asked. "Like… children?"

"Yes, they are very similar to your children. However, many of them were killed along with the females that were attempting to save them." There was a deep sadness in Bumblebees voice now; even in her confusion, Annie felt her heart ache a little for what was clearly a huge loss to him. "We hope that some survived; we are attempting to contact all remaining Cybertronians that are scattered across the universe. However, space is vast, and the chances the signal reaching all of them are astronomical."

"Astronomical…" Annie sat back in the seat, tipping her head back. She let out a huge breath and tried to make sense of all the new information.

"You are not asking the questions I expected you to," Bumblebee said.

Annie lifted her head again, looking at the rearview mirror. "I'm not asking the questions I intended to, either." She rubbed her eyes. "Who knows why. I'm just babbling."

There was a soft whirring noise, and then, "Your body is operating past its limits, is why. Your current posture and body signs are all indicating that it is time for you to recharge. Or sleep, as you call it."

As if on cue, Annie let out a huge yawn. "I suppose I am a little weary. It is, after all, two in the morning; not to mention, today was a bit of a bombshell… hey, how did you…?"

"I am equipped to scan and interpret your body signs. It is to further enable us to protect you from harm." Bumblebee gently opened the car door. "I will enjoy continuing our discussion, but only after you receive ample rest. Sam would not be pleased if I 'wore you out'." His voice was gentle but firm.

The girl braced her hands on the car frame and heaved herself out of the cab. Sleepiness was hitting her in waves. She turned back to Bumblebee. "Thank you… for dealing with me, letting me clear my head a little. You're really easy to talk to."

Bumblebee's voice was even softer on the outside of the cab, so as to not attract any unwanted attention. "I enjoyed our discussion, as well."

Annie patted the car sleepily. "'Night." She turned and shuffled back towards the house. Bee called softly after her.

"Goodnight, Annie Witwicky."

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	7. A Bigger Talk

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

_A/N: What's this? An update? With an honest-to-god long chapter? No way! Oh, yes way. Enjoy! Can you tell I love writing Bee/Annie interactions? They're way too fun. I can't wait to have her meet the rest of the family… _

**TFTFTF**

"You're _what?"_

Annie crossed her arms and smiled, a little too devilishly for Sam's liking. "I'm taking Bumblebee today. Or, rather," she raised an eyebrow, "The two of us are enjoying each other's company for the day." She resumed eating her breakfast, a slight grimace on her face. "It feels strange to say I'm 'taking' something that can think for itself."

"Nope, nope, no way, he's my car." Sam realized how that sounded, and backtracked as his sister glared at him. "Well, I mean to say, uh…"

"I'm pretty sure you don't own him…"

"I didn't mean to say that!"

Annie snorted. "Freudian slip?"

"What in the _what_ now?"

"Never mind, I don't know." Annie swirled her spoon in her cereal. "Besides, you owe me after last night's… debacle."

Sam flushed. "Listen, I apologized for…"

"For what?" Unbeknownst to either sibling, their mother had walked into the kitchen, her arms laden with fresh laundry, just catching the last part of the conversation.

Annie's eyes darted to Sam, who heaved a sigh and nodded slightly. "Mom, she knows."

"Knows? Knows…" Realization dawned on his mom's face, and for a split second Sam thought she was going to drop the laundry hamper. She instead placed it gingerly on the island countertop and placed a hand on her mouth. "You know about our… new friends?"

Annie nodded. Mrs. Witwicky gave a strangled little cry that nearly startled Sam out of his seat, and rushed over to her daughter, hugging her neck and kissing the top of her head. "I'm so sorry we didn't tell you, darling, but we _couldn't, _not yet, your father and I wanted to and we felt just _awful…_" Suddenly, she rounded on her son. "You _told _her? Why didn't you let your father and I…"

Sam threw his hands in the air. "Is this 'Attack Sam Day' or something? Did I miss that memo? Jeez, Mom, I just felt bad about lying to her."

His mother shook her head. "We weren't _lying,_ we just weren't telling her the truth, mister! And don't take that defensive tone…"

Annie held up her hands. "Easy, guys, really, I'm okay; granted, I was a little shocked, but I'm adjusting. Bumblebee helped, a lot."

"How did Bee help?" Sam was confused – to his knowledge, their longest encounter had left a dent in Bee's shoulder and his sister in full-blown freak-out mode.

Annie sipped her tea calmly. "We talked last night. Mom," said Annie, directing herself once more to her mother, "Sam can bike to school today, right? I was going to go job hunting, and was hoping Bee could keep me company."

Mrs. Witwicky smiled, clearly intent on pleasing the daughter she felt she had let down. "Of course. Sam would be more than happy to bike." His mother gave him a dangerous look, one that told him exactly what would happen if he didn't comply.

Sam grumbled to himself and bent lower over his toast. _See, now, I got a car so I could _avoid _any kind of physical exertion. _

As their mother left, Annie leaned in next to Sam. "Come on, now, just this one day. We'll even pick you up after school, yeah?"

"Yeah," mumbled Sam. He couldn't really be that mad. Besides, truth be told, he would rather that his sister and his new friend got along well than not at all, and if spending time together helped, then, well… he could grin and bear the bike. The pink bike. His mom's bike.

_On second thought, there's always the bus…_

**TFTFTFTF**

"So, it is a communication hub, of sorts?"

"Yeah, a way for people to keep in touch with other people on the internet, or get back in touch with them, as it were."

"And it has nothing to do with faces, or books?"

"Nope." Annie crossed her legs on the leather driver's seat, as Bumblebee sped down the freeway. _I actually love not having to drive. My sixteen year old self would never have believed it. _She leaned back and giggled. "And you thought I had strange questions."

Bee laughed. "I came across it many times while surfing the web, I was curious. Your turn."

"So you can surf the internet in… there?"

"Yes. And that counts as a question."

"Dammit! Okay, your turn, then," Annie said, jokingly pounding her hands on her knees. It had been an hour since she had introduced the "Question for Question" game to Bumblebee, and he had picked up the idea with an exuberance Annie hadn't expected. Most of the things they had discussed up until this point had been silly and inane, like "Does your metal skin get hot in the sun?" and "What, exactly, is the purpose of undergarments?" But Annie knew, as was always the case with this game, one question would segue-way into another of more importance. It was a game she played with her brother when she wanted to know what he was thinking without having to badger him for it.

"Hmm…" Annie could hear a faint whirring sound as Bee thought, and she pictured - incorrectly, she assumed - great metal cogs spinning and working.

He finally spoke up. "Why do human females continuously vary their hair styles? What is the point of constantly arranging and rearranging the dead skin cells on the tops of your heads? For example, yesterday, your hair was gathered together at the back of your head. Today it is not."

Annie laughed again. It felt great to laugh so freely. "You sure have a way of putting things, Bumblebee." She thought for a moment. "Let's see if I can remember my biology. I believe males are, instinctually, attracted to thick, shiny, lustrous hair. To them it is a sign of fertility, of health, which means the person they're in pursuit of is most viable in terms of a potential mate. As to why we style it? Couldn't tell you." She smiled. "We have for thousands of years. Maybe… to create interest? I mean, female birds ruffle their feathers, it's pretty much the same thing – getting guy's attention."

"Oh." Bee still sounded slightly confused.

"My question – how old are you?"

"I am young. Only a few thousand years old."

"W-what?" Annie spluttered. "That's _young?_"

Bumblebee turned left off the freeway, hitting a dirt road that make the car shake ever so slightly. "Relatively, yes, much younger than my comrades. It took a while to shake the nickname of Little Bumblebee. I suppose my size did not help matters, much." 

Annie's eyes widened. "Are… are they all bigger than you?"

"Yes. And that counts as two questions; therefore, I get two."

The girl crossed her arms. "My, you're a stickler for rules."

The car came to a slow halt, and Annie finally took in her surroundings. Bumblebee had stopped at an apparently random tree that overlooked the dusty desert that stretch out seemingly infinitely before them.

Bee spoke up. "If you do not mind, I would like to be in my normal form for a while. I have been feeling slightly cramped."

"By all means," said Annie, hopping out of the car and backing away slightly.

It was no less startling to see a gigantic alien robot evolving before her eyes; however, she was much less panicky this time. _It really looks pretty – cool. Like a giant 3-d puzzle coming together. _

Back in his natural state, the yellow bot gave a roll of his head, as if stretching his neck. His ice blue eyes rested on Annie. "Are you all right?" His low voice was gentle as ever, even as he struck an impressive form, towering above her. She gave him the thumbs up, and walked over to the edge of what appeared to be a drop-off.

Annie sat on the dry patch of grass surrounding the old tree, swinging her legs over the side of the drop-off, and Bee joined her. She almost had to laughed at how awkward the huge robot looked, sitting beside her, his knees in the air, his back leaning against the tree – one that Annie was sure wouldn't hold his weight for very long. Instead, she looked out in front of her, taking in the fairly non-existent scenery.

"May I ask my questions now?" Bee's head was inclined towards her, piercing blue eyes still gazing; Annie found herself, for the first time today, feeling slightly uncomfortable. It was a little easier talking so freely to a stranger when there was no face to talk to.

"Sure, Bee, go ahead."

"Is mating all your species ever thinks about?"

Annie snorted loudly, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Somehow, she knew this was going to come up.

Bee traced a finger through the dirt beside him, leaving deep gouges. "I find that, for all the information available on the subject on the internet, and for how much most of your species talk about it and think about it, you still become quite embarrassed at the topic. Sam was; he changed the subject very quickly when I asked him the same thing. If you are uncomfortable…"

Annie waved her hand dismissively, still giggling. "Forget it; it just gives me permission to ask you uncomfortable questions, too." Bee's head darted around and studied her, as if contemplating whether she was serious. Apparently deciding it was worth the risk, he rested his forearms on his knees and leaned in a little closer, giving Annie the distinct impression of a small child listening to a fascinating story.

She took a breath. "Well, um… I suppose this one is sort of biological as well. I mean, most animals on my planet, on any planet, I'm sure, have the built in instinct to propagate their species." Bee nodded at this, and Annie mirrored him. "It's just that… well, our way of… propagating the species… is… ah, exceedingly pleasurable."

Annie couldn't help it; she could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks as Bumblebee simply sat there staring, waiting for her to continue. Trying to will away her embarrassment, she continued, "Yeah, so… While we use… sex… as a way to create new life, many people, most people, also view it as a recreational thing. A lot of people who have an active sex life are in no way interested in having a baby." She looked down at her feet. "It's so pleasurable that it really can become an obsession for many. Especially men." At this Annie gave a rueful smile. "As a gender, they're already very physical; sex is like icing on the cake. Or the whole cake. Whichever."

Bumblebee looked perplexed. "Cake?"

Annie shook her head. "Never mind, it's bad analogy. Does that help?" _Please, God, let it help._"

Bumblebee considered this. "Yes," he nodded. "You have helped put it into context."

Annie sighed with relief. "Good."

"Is physical beauty important to the mating process? It seems to be heavily emphasized in your culture"

"Yes, but what defines beauty changes almost daily. In general, a person who is attractive has good health, is clean, in shape, good hair… but again, it's all personal preference; it depends on life experience, on our own insecurities, hang-ups, and so forth." She leaned back on her hands. "Not to mention, of course, whatever society deems as attractive also has a part in that." _Unfortunately. _

Bumblebee seemed to be processing what she said. Annie let him pause, gathering her thoughts about her. _Who knew he would be so inquisitive? _For some strange reason, Annie had thought her curiousity would be one sided, that humanity couldn't possibly be interesting enough to intrigue such an intriguing race of beings. But of course Bee would be curious about her and her species, in the same way she was curious of him. The two beings sitting side by side by the tree were so very different, and so the same; not for the first time since last night, the idea that she was actually in the proximity of a completely different race, an honest to god _alien, _well – it was staggering, even overwhelming.

"You are, by most Earth standards, attractive, are you not?"

Annie's jaw dropped slightly as her head swiveled towards the bot. "Wha -?"

Bee gave a small shake of his shoulders, which Annie assumed to be a nonchalant shrug. "Judging from what I have researched on the World Wide Web, and from the reaction of males in your proximity, you are an attractive female."

"I… uh… thank you?" Annie was slightly perplexed. "I guess… I dunno, I'm not really… I don't think of myself in that way. I mean, I'm not _ugly, _I guess, but… gah!" She flexed her fingers compulsively and forced her babbling mouth into silence.

Annie tried to pretend like she was still contemplating the scenery, but stole a glance at Bumblebee. He was looking at her still, his head cocked to one side. She quickly averted her eyes. For some reason, his last comment had embarrassed her more than anything, and she didn't know why. Desperate to change the subject before Bee could ask anything else on the same vein, she looked at her watch, and then swore loudly. "Damn, Bee! We were supposed to pick up Sam ten minutes ago! He'll kill me!"

"You may blame me," said Bumblebee simply, pushing himself off the ground and offering a finger to his companion, who heaved herself up with his help gratefully and dusted herself off. "Somehow, I think he will be less inclined to quarrel with someone ten times his size," Bumblebee said, his voice edged with good-natured humor, before swiftly transforming back into the familiar yellow Camaro.

Annie laughed outright at this. Sliding into the front seat, she chuckled mirthfully, "Somehow, Bee, honey, I'm inclined to believe you on that one."

"Though, you never know; he may have a hidden stockpile of large rocks and dirt clods," Bee teased. Annie gave a playful smack to the steering wheel, and the two joined in laughter as they sped off down the freeway.

_**Like it? Love it? Review it!**_


	8. An Unwelcome Guest

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. At all. Come on, if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction.**_

**TFTFTF**

"Let me get this straight."

"Dad…"

"No, let me finish. You go job hunting today, only to return to the house with the same amount of resumes you left with, and _no _job?"

"Bumblebee and I got sidetracked. And besides, getting a job… it's not that easy, Dad!"

Ronald Witwicky leaned over his dinner plate and stared at his daughter incredulously. "Nothing in this life is _easy, _Anne Margaret Witwicky. You have to really try, really work _hard_ for what you want! There is no…"

"Victory without sacrifice, yeah, I know." Annie slumped in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest, knowing she looked like a petulant child and not really caring much.

Judy Witwicky waved her hands in the air, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. "Now, Ron, she's been through a traumatic incident."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Traumatic?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "I wasn't traumatized, Mom!" She jabbed her elbow in the direction of Sam, who was snickering over his mashed potatoes. She was pleased to feel her elbow connect with his ribs.

"Mom, she _hit _me!"

Judy shook her head. "Really, are we not all adults at this table?"

Sam rubbed his side. "Adults don't maliciously attack other adults."

"Yes they do, it's called war." Annie smirked at Sam, who promptly stomped on her foot.

Judy threw her hands up in the air. "That's it, I give up on the both of you. Maybe your father and I should just move to the Bahamas for a while, wait until you two finish each other off with your constant bickering, then come back and have an empty house all to ourselves."

Sam feigned hurt. "Nice, Mom, real nice. And we can hear you laughing out there, Bee."

There was a pause, and then an apologetic "Sorry," from the robot eavesdropping outside the window.

Annie and Sam burst into loud laughter, while Judy giggled over her third glass of wine and Ron craned his head around to look outside. "Is he parked right outside the window?"

"Yes, I was lonely," Bumblebee called out.

Annie and Sam laughed even harder, and Judy remarked, "The poor dear!"

Ron shook his head, chuckling slightly. "Maybe while he's out there he can fix my fountain." 

"Dad, let it go!" Sam chided, as Annie wiped away tears of laughter.

"I have, I have." Ron sipped his wine, and directed his attention back to his daughter. "Now, are you going to keep job searching?"

Annie groaned. "Yes, Dad, I am. I need money as much as you seem to need to continue pushing me, so…"

"Good, then I want to hear your job search progress each day. You will report to me, young lady."

Annie mockingly saluted her father, and then stood up to take her dish to the kitchen. Running her dish under the sink, she called out, "Sam, when are we picking up Mikaela?"

"Seven."

"Where are you all going together?" Judy looked at her son inquisitively.

"Annie wants to meet the rest of the gang, and Mikaela was a little mad she missed out on introducing Bumblebee." Sam stretched his arms above his head and grunted. "Good meal, Mom."

Annie sauntered back into the kitchen and kissed her father on the top of the head. "Thanks for looking out for me, Dad. I appreciate someone keeping me accountable while I get my butt in gear."

Ron patted her shoulder. "I just want you to succeed."

"I know it," Annie smiled. She pecked her mother on the cheek and turned to Sam. "Ready?"

"Just let me fix my hair!" Sam got up from the table and ran out of the room quicker than Annie was used to seeing.

Annie turned to her mother, a smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. "Fix his hair?"

**TFTFTF**

"_When you were young, and your heart was an open book, you used to say live and let live…"_

Guns N'Roses wafted quietly out of the car speakers as the three inhabitants of said chattered noisily, their conversation occasionally punctuated by the deep, seemingly disembodied voice of their "driver". The sun had just set in the horizon, and the sky was still full of reds and golds and purples. The air outside was crisp and fresh, and to Annie, it couldn't have been a more perfect night.

"Okay," she said, leaning forward from the back seat and interrupting her brother's repetition of all the funny parts of last week's Family Guy episode. "Remind me of all of their names again."

Bumblebee spoke. "Optimus Prime. He is the leader of the Autobots."

"Yeah, he's blue and red and he's also the biggest, and he transforms into an eighteen-wheeler," Mikaela piped up.

"Then there's Ratchet, he's kind of their doctor," said Sam. "He's yellow, but a brighter yellow than Bee, and he becomes an ambulance."

"Fitting!" laughed Annie. "And then there's… Ironhide?"

"Yes, and he's black colored, and he becomes a truck. He's… well, he's sort of… tough. Crotchety." Mikaela added.

Bumblebee laughed. "I will be sure to tell him that."

"No, don't!" Mikaela looked panicked as Sam and Annie laughed. "I didn't say I didn't like him!"

Annie opened her mouth to comment, when she was startled by the sound of a police siren. "Uh oh, what…?"

Sam and Mikaela's heads both spun around quickly, almost too quickly, Annie thought.

"Bee?" Mikaela's voice sounded extremely worried.

"It is just a police officer." Bee spoke soothingly. "I was traveling over the speed limit." He pulled over to the shoulder of the road.

"Of course it's just a police officer…" Annie cut short her remark as the officer walked up to the driver's side and rapped on the door. Sam, who was sitting in the drivers seat, rolled down his window.

"Ah, yes officer?"

"Driver's license and registration."

Sam fumbled for his wallet as Annie reached into the glove compartment for the registration. The officer took them and headed back to his car momentarily. Annie glanced at Mikaela, who was biting her lip.

Annie could hear gravel crunching under the officer's feet as he walked back towards them. He peered in the car at the three occupants. "Were you aware that you were traveling at sixty-five miles per hour in a designated fifty zone?"

"Uh, I apologize, officer, you're right, I was. S-sorry." Sam gripped the wheel tight, and Annie knew that he was imagining what punishments Dad would have in store for his first speeding ticket. _Granted, it is sort've _Bee's_ first ticket. I wonder if Dad will go for that._

The officer nodded. "I will have to write you up, but considering it's your first offence, the fine will be minimal." He scribbled on a pad and tore off the sheet, handing it to Sam. "Consider this your…"

The officer's lecture was cut short by the sudden wail of yet another police siren. Annie was perplexed. _Did… did he call for back-up? _

"Oh, god!"

Mikaela's sudden, panicked cry confused Annie even more. "What's the matter?"

Annie was thrown back in her seat as Bee inexplicably sped off the shoulder and back onto the road. "What the hell, Bee! The officer…"

A deafening blast drowned out her words and shook the interior of the car. Annie and Mikaela screamed and Sam bellowed angrily. "I thought he was dead!"

"So did I." Bee's normally gentle tones were now edged with a trace of both anger and fear.

Annie gripped her seat, her brain spinning. She turned in her seat and stared out the back window, just in time to see a huge police car gaining on them quickly. "I don't understand…"

"Bumblebee calling all Autobots, I need backup, and I need it now!"

Annie's eyes widened as another voice came crackling through Bee's speakers. _"Bumblebee, it's Optimus, what is the situation?"_

"It's Barricade, he's here, he found me somehow – I have the Witwicky kids and Mikaela in my cab, I need all of you to converge on my position immediately!"

"_Understood."_ The communication ceased with a crackling noise.

"What the hell IS that?" Annie yelled fearfully. Bee's tense voice answered shortly, "Decepticon. Annie, climb into the front seat. I may have to dump the three of you."

Annie numbly did as she was told. She had no sooner sat in between her brother and his girlfriend, when Bumblebee made a sharp turn off the road and onto a dusty stretch of farm land. The three were slammed against the passenger side door, which flew open, unceremoniously sending them rolling out onto the hard ground.

Annie rolled to a stop, smacking her head on the ground. She barely had time to assess what damaged she may have incurred before her brother was yanking her up by her armpits.

"Come on, Annie, come ON!" Her brother bellowed, fear quite clear in his shaking voice. Mikaela grabbed her hand and the three ran, stumbling over rocks.

Annie stopped suddenly. "Wait, Bee!"

Turning, she caught Bee transforming back into his normal state and standing in a fighting position, blocking the three humans from harm.

A deep, metallic voice shook the ground, and as it yelled, it was joined by the noises of grinding gears and clanking metal. "We meet again, Autobot scum!"

"Barricade. I wish I could say it was a pleasure." Bee's angry voice echoed through the air as his large hands tightened into fists.

Annie broke free of her brother's vice grip on her arm and leaned over to look around Bee's leg. There, huge and gleaming silver, white and black in the light of the new moon, stood a robot – one that ten times more terrifying in appearance than Bumblebee. His features looked like they were made of jagged strips of iron.

The robot called Barricade caught sight of the frightened girl and gave a mirthless laugh. "Another little fleshy? The company you keep, Autobot, leaves much to be desired."

Barricade looked right at Annie, who felt her heart stall. "I will enjoy crushing you, girl." He stepped forward menacingly, shaking the ground, and Annie yelled and fell backwards.

It looked like this was all Bumblebee needed. The yellow bot bent low and ran at Barricade, tackling him hard and sending him sprawling. The ground quaked as the two robots fell, Barricade roaring furiously as he went, and the three humans were sent falling to the ground as well. Annie pushed herself up and scrambled backwards on all fours. "Oh god, god, oh _shit!" _she screamed, he brother spouting off similar curses behind her.

She couldn't seem to take her eyes of the two huge robots fighting; if Bee hadn't been yellow, she wouldn't have been able to tell the two apart as their bodies tangled in fierce combat. She was so terrified that she couldn't think properly, or even let it register that Sam was calling her name loudly.

A horrible noise rent through the air, and a hot blast sent the three kids spinning away from each other, throwing them across the cool night.

Annie landed hard, her face scraping up against the gravel. She could hear Sam still calling her name, and Mikaela screaming, but it seemed to be coming at her from the end of a very long tunnel. She shook her head, tasting blood in her mouth.

Annie sat up, preparing to run, when a great metal hand suddenly descended in front of her, blocking her escape. Yelling, she turned to see herself nearly nose to nose with the fearsome Barricade.

"Look at you, you pathetic meat sack. So easily injured. I wished to toss you around, make you suffer before I killed you, but it seems as though you'd die before I had any fun." The cruel, deep voice was filled with, remarkably, mirth, and even in her panic, Annie was disgusted.

Barricade laughed, and Annie backed up hopelessly, nearly touching his hand. "Bee! HELP!"

"He can't hear you now, squishy, perhaps -"

Perhaps what, Annie didn't get the chance to find out, as the side of Barricade's face seemed to spontaneously and loudly burst into flame. He bellowed and reared back, clutching his face. Annie took this opportunity to run like a bat out of hell.

She yelled her brother's name over and over, nearly in tears, still not understanding or processing her surroundings, when she suddenly tripped over something large. She landed on the ground and spun around to see that she had tripped over Bumblebee's outstretched metal arm.

"Oh, god, _Bee…_" Annie moaned, crawling over towards his head and placing a hand on his face. His usually glowing eyes flickered, and he let out a small groan. It seemed as though he was semi-conscious.

A hand grabbed Annie's shoulder and she spun around to find her brother and Mikaela. "Sam, I think he's hurt!" Annie said tearfully, as she became painfully aware that she had done something bad to her wrist.

Annie's own fear and panic was mirrored in her brother's face. "It'll be okay, it's okay, he's here now!"

Annie looked back towards the place she had just run from, to see not one robot, but two. Barricade was lying on the ground, as still as Bumblebee, and the other robot was walking towards the three humans. He was huge, larger than Annie could even have dreamed, and his armor gleamed blue and red under the moon. Even before he reached them, even before he opened his mouth, Annie knew who he was.

"You're Optimus Prime."

_A/N: I decided to move down here for a change. I think for the better. I am going to get good at these updates. I have to make up for a whole month of nothing, right? I know you all were waiting for some action – and so was I. I am very glad to deliver. Hope you enjoyed! PS, Barricade is awesome, he's my favorite Decepticon. Uh… that is all. _


End file.
